The state-run Sir JJ Hospital and civic-run Sion Hospital have received approvals from their ethics committees to conduct the third phase of clinical trials for Covaxin, the indigenous vaccine candidate for COVID-19 by Bharat Biotech.
The JJ hospital will begin the trial round in the next few days as they are yet to finalise the volunteers. JJ expects to enrol 1,000 volunteers, who must be over 18 years of age and below 60 years. Meanwhile, Sion Hospital is expected to start the trial within the next two-three days. The hospital will also enrol frontline workers in the human clinical trial of Covaxin, said the report. They will follow up with the volunteers for a year.
Covaxin is being developed by the Hyderabad-based firm Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). As per Bharat Biotech’s official website, Covaxin is developed in BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility. The vaccine received Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approval for Phase I and II human clinical trials, which commenced across India from July.
As on November 26, Mumbai reported 1,147 new COVID-19 cases, 548 recoveries and 16 deaths. The total number of cases in the financial capital reached up to 2,79,737.
KEM and Nair are currently testing the AstraZeneca vaccine (also known as Oxford vaccine), which will be manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India. Recently, the Oxford University acknowledged a manufacturing error in the vaccination.
PM Modi will visit the vaccine development centres, which includes Pune’s Serum Institute of India (SII), Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech International Limited and Ahmedabad’s Zydus Cadila.
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